Garment hanger



R. HONIG GARMENT HANGER July 4, 1961 Filed Jan. 30, 1959 O Q m wt mm mmmm w 25 INVENTOR ROBERT HONIG ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O 1 Claim. (Cl. 223-95) This invention relatesgenerally to garment hanging devices, and is especially concerned withnovel improvements in garment hangers of the type adapted for hangingpants, skirts and the like.

As is well known, it is desirable in the hanging of certain types ofgarments, such as pants and skirts to simultaneously suspend and stretchthe garment, thereby preventing improper creasing thereof. Toward thisend certain prior hanger constructions have been proposed, but have notfound general acceptance for numerous reasons, particularly theirrelative complexity in construction and expense to manufacture. Further,prior devices of this general type have been too readily subject tobreakage and malfunctioning by reason of their structural deficienciesand difficult operational procedures.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide agarment hanger of the type described which overcomes the above mentioneddifliculties, is extremely simple in construction and durable in use,capable of successful operation with little or'no skill, and which iswell adapted to be mass produced at a reasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon readingthe following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings,which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations ofelements, and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope will be indicated by the appended claim.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing a garment hanger constructedin accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with partsshown in dot-and-dash outline in an alternative position. of use;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 ofFIG. 1, somewhat enlarged for clarity of detail;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, also enlarged, takensubstantially along theline 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically toFIG. 1 thereof, a garment hanger is there illustrated and is generallydesignated 10. The hanger may include a suspension member 11', a coat orblouse supporting member 12, and a pants or skint supporting mechanism13. The suspension element may be formed of wire or rod stock and bentto define a hook 15 and a generally vertically depending stem 16.

The coat or blouse supporting member 12 may be disposed to extendgenerally laterally or horizontally, being of an upwardly bowedconfiguration and receiving the stem 16 vertically through a medialregion of the member 12. The stem 16 may be flattened or swaged todefine enlargements 17 and 18, respectively above and below the blousesupporting member 12 to locate the latter in position on the stem.

The pants or skirt supporting mechanism 13 includes a laterally orgenerally horizontally extending elongated frame member or rod 20 havingits medial region fixed by any suitable means to the lower end of thestem 16, so as to extend generally longitudinally of and beneath theblouse supporting member 12. However, the frame member or rod 20terminates at its opposite ends short of opposite ends of the member 12,and is there formed with rigidly depending guide members or loops 21.That is, the guide members 21 may be formed integral with the framemembers20, being bent, as best seen in FIG. 2,. to define the loopedconfiguration lying in planes parallel to each other and transverse ornormal to the longitudinal extent of the frame member 20.

, Adjacent to each end region of the frame member 20,

extending longitudinally of the frame member and in substantialalinement with each other, are a pair of elongate rods or extensionmembers each being designated 22. Each extension member or rod 22 isslidably received or extends loosely through a respective depending loop21 for sliding reception therein. The inner end of each extension member22, inward of the adjacent guide loop 21, is bent to define a rigidlyupstanding loop 23 located in a plane normal to the respective extensionmember and loosely circumposed about or slidably receiving the adjacentregion of the frame member 20. Thus, being constrained by the loops 21and 23, each extension member 22 is longitudinally slidable relative tothe frame member 20 for an extensile and retractile movement of theouter end relative to the frame member. On the inner end of eachextension member 22, formed integrally therewith or fixedly securedthereto by any suitable means, is a rigidly depending anchoring element25, which may assume the form of a loop, as illustrated in the drawings,located in a plane disposed longitudinally of the respective extensionmember. Extending longitudinally of and along the underside of the innerregion of each extension member 22, between the receiving guide loop 21and the inner end anchoring element 25 is a coil extension spring 26.Each of the springs 26 has its opposite ends respectively connected tothe adjacent loop 21 and anchoring element 25, as by end loops 27 and 28of the spring. Thus, each of the extension members 22 is supported forits longitudinally extensile and retractile movement as describedhereinbefore, and resiliently urged toward a fully extended condition bycontraction of the spring 26. The extensile members 22 are limited to anextended condition, as indicated in solid lines in FIG. 1, byinterposition of the springs 26 between the loops 21 and 25 to preventfurther movement of the loops toward each other, and the extensionmembers are retractable to the dot-and-dash outline positions byexpansion of the springs 26.

On the outer end of each extension member 22 is provided a dependinggarment engaging element 30, which may consist of a downwardly bentextension 31 of the extension member 22, preferably sheathed or coveredby a tubular element 32 of soft, frictional material, such as rubber,plastic or the like. Thus, the garment engaging elements 30 are movableinward to the phantom position in FIG. 1, and resiliently urged outwardfor engagement in a garment to support the same suspended therefrom.That is, the sheathed garment engaging element 30 may be engaged in thewaist of a skirt or pants, or in the legs thereof and allowed toresiliently extend into frictional retaining engagement with thereceiving garment.

If it is desired, the hanger 10 may be provided with a pair of pants orskirt holding mechanisms, say one for each pants leg, or the extensionmembers 22 may each be provided on their outer ends with a pair ofgarment engaging elements corresponding to those designated 30.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment wherein hanger 40 is provided with a pair ofpants holding mechanisms 46 and 46a. Hook 43 has a depending stem 45which extends through coat supporting member 44, similarly to the firstembodiment. A pair of stem extensions or rods 42 and 41 are fixed to thebottom end of stem 45 by any suitable means (not shown) and arerespectively inclined forwardly and rearwardly downwardly therefrom. The

lower end of'rod 42 is fixed by any suitable means (not shown) to thecenter of rod 48 of front mechanism 46. The lower. end of rod 41 isfixed by any suitable means (not shown). to the center of rod 47 of rearmechanism 46a.

Rods 48 and 47 are parallel to each other and in frontto-rearregistration with each other, and are generally parallel to member 44.The mechanisms 46 and46a are otherwisethe same as mechanism 13, as isclearly shown in the drawing, and. the same reference numerals are usedto indicate corresponding parts thereof.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides agarment hanger which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is welladapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by wayof illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, itis understood that certain changes and modifications may be made withinthe spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A garment hanger comprising an elongate normally horizontal rod adaptedto be suspended from a support, a guide loop rigidly depending from eachend of said rod and each located in a plane generally normal to the rod,a pair of elongate extension members each arranged longitudinally of andadjacent to a respective end of said rod and having an intermediateregion extending slidably through the adjacent guide loop, an additionalguide loop on the end of each extension member inward of said firstmentioned guide loops upstanding rigidly from the respective extensionmember in a plane generally normal to the latter and slidably receivingthe adjacent portion of said rod, depending garment engaging elements onthe outer ends of s'aidextension members outward of said first mentionedguide loops, an anchoring element depending from the inner end of eachof said extension members, and a pair of coil springs each extendingalong the underside of a respective extension member and having itsopposite ends connected to the first mentioned guide loop of therespective extension member and the anchoring element thereof, toresiliently urge said extension members toward their extensilecondition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS882,592 Stanton Mar. 24, 1908 1,467,848 Gibbs et al Sept. 11, 19231,553,140 Chidley Sept. 8, 1925 1,922,161 Hille Aug. 15, 1933 2,682,978Brock July 6, 1954 2,718,340 Lundman Sept. 20, 1955 2,829,811 BoschnongaApr. 8, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 252,992 Switzerland Oct. 16, 1948

